Razorback Roundup -- Feb. 8

RAZORBACK ROUNDUPFeb. 8, 2010BASEBALL: Zack Cox, Brett Eibner and Andy Wilkins were named Baseball America preseason All-Americans last week. Cox and Eibner were chosen for the first team while Wilkins was selected to the second team. Arkansas is one of three programs in the nation, along with LSU and Texas, to have three players honored. In the most recent preseason rankings, the Razorbacks came in at No. 15 in both the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA) and Rivals.com polls, representing the fourth and fifth rankings released prior to opening day. The baseball team closed its week Saturday evening with its Meet the Razorbacks fan day at the Northwest Arkansas Mall where coaches and players signed autographs for two hours for the long line of fans at center court. Arkansas’ season-opening series is set for Feb. 19-21 against Ball State at Baum Stadium.MEN’S BASKETBALL (12-11, 5-3): The Razorbacks took sole possession of first place in the SEC’s Western Division last week. Arkansas opened with a road victory at Georgia, rebounding from a 15-point halftime deficit to win in regulation. On Saturday, the Razorbacks erased a two-point halftime deficit to win in overtime over Auburn for their fourth win in a row. The winning streak is the longest since the 2008 season. Courtney Fortson scored 27 against the Bulldogs and 24 against the Tigers. The 20-point efforts move his season scoring average to 20.2 and he notched his third double-double in nine games against Auburn with 24 points and 10 rebounds. He was three assists shy of his second triple-double. UA stays home and attempts to move its winning streak to five against LSU on Wednesday before going back on the road at Alabama on Saturday.WOMEN’S BASKETBALL (9-14, 1-9): Arkansas got 18 points from sophomore Lyndsay Harris and 10 from senior Charity Ford against No. 18 Kentucky on Sunday. Freshman Quistelle Williams grabbed a career-best 10 rebounds in the game. Arkansas’ next two are on the road, first at Auburn Thursday followed by a trip to South Carolina for a Sunday game that will be televised by the ESPN networks. Arkansas has just two regular season home games remaining. The Razorbacks host Ole Miss Feb. 18 and Alabama Feb. 21 in the annual Pink Game and for Senior Day.FOOTBALL (8-5): The football team announced its signing day class this past Wednesday. The group was ranked as the No. 3 defensive line class in the nation. MEN’S GOLF: The Razorbacks traveled to Houston for a single-round outing against Houston and Houston Baptist, winning the event by two strokes to open the 2010 spring season. Sophomore Ethan Tracy and freshman Austin Cook were the leaders as both shot even par 72 to tie for second overall. Arkansas placed four scorers among the top seven with David Lingmerth and Jamie Marshall rounding out the four. The Razorbacks are back on the course on Sunday at the Battle at the Beach in Newport Beach, Calif. The competition takes place on the Pelican Hill Golf Club Ocean North Course.WOMEN’S GOLF: The Razorbacks are idle until the Central District Invitational Feb. 22-23 in Parrish, Fla. GYMNASTICS (3-2, 2-2): No. 7 Arkansas set a school record by scoring 197.025 points in Friday’s win over No. 16 Auburn. The Razorbacks had their third-best score on bars (49.250), third-best on beam (49.350) and seventh-best on vault (49.300). Senior All-American Casey Jo Magee set a school record with a 39.625 all-around score. She won the all-around, won beam with a school-record tying 9.95, won bars with the second-best mark in school history of 9.925, tied for the win on floor (9.875) and finished third on vault (9.875). The Auburn meet will be televised in a tape delay broadcast on ESPNU on Sunday at 2 p.m. The Razorbacks are at Georgia this week. SOCCER: Head coach Erin Aubry added 11 newcomers to her roster for 2010. The class includes student-athletes from Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Ohio and Texas. It includes two forwards, five midfielders, three defenders and one keeper, all with extensive club and high school experience. The newcomers are defender/midfielder Callie Authier and forward Yvonne Desjarlais of Anchorage, Alaska; midfielder Margo Davis of Chesterland, Ohio; defender Jenn Fryrear of St. Louis, Mo.; midfielder Jessie Givens of Rockwall, Texas; midfielder Taylor Green of Roswell, Ga.; forward/midfielder Bethany Labac of Rowlett, Texas; midfielder/defender Lauren Locklear of Fairview, Texas; keeper Angela Osburn of Allen, Texas; defender Evan Palmer of Overland Park, Kan.; and midfielder Alex Starrett of Tulsa.SOFTBALL: Arkansas opens the season Friday at the Metrodome Classic in Minneapolis, Minn., against Western Illinois at 11 a.m. The Razorbacks also face Iowa, Drake, Minnesota and Iowa State in the tournament, which runs through Sunday. The Razorbacks are under the direction of first-year head coach Mike Larabee.SWIMMING AND DIVING (6-2, 2-1): Arkansas returns to action Feb. 17-20 when it travels to Athens, Ga., for the SEC Swimming and Diving Championship, hosted by the University of Georgia.MEN’S TENNIS (5-3): The No. 51 Razorbacks went 3-0 at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center over the weekend. On Friday, UA defeated Louisiana-Lafayette, 7-0. On Sunday, the Hogs beat Wichita State, 6-1, and Cowley County Community College, 7-0. The Razorbacks went a combined 19-2. Chris Nott, Dmitry Lebedev, Matt Hogan, Matt Walters and Gregoire Lehmann went undefeated in singles. Against ULL, Lehmann clinched the win at the No. 4 position with a 6-4, 6-2 triumph over Piotr Olechowsk. No. 81 Christopher Nott defeated Vlad Marinsescu of Wichita State in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2, while Dmitry Lebedev had a 6-0, 6-3 over the Shocker’s Valentin Mahia. Highlighting the match against Cowley County was freshman Mike Ward debuting in his first dual match at the No. 1 singles position. Ward dropped the first set, but fought back to beat Lloyd Bruce-Burgess,3-6, 6-3, 1-0(6). Arkansas’ doubles teams won all nine matches over the weekend. The Hogs head to Norman, Okla., on Friday to play the Oklahoma Sooners. First serve is set for 3 p.m.WOMEN’S TENNIS (4-1): The No. 17 Razorbacks completed a weekend doubleheader sweep of Louisiana-Lafayette, 7-0, and No. 61 Utah, 6-1. In the first match, UA bounced back from a tough loss to Michigan the week before and rolled through the singles and doubles matches against ULL, winning each match in straight sets. Arkansas picked up where it left off and won each of the doubles matches against Utah. In singles, the team got a match clincher from junior Anouk Tigu at the No. 1 spot, 6-4, 6-1. The Hogs are back in action on Saturday when they take on No. 35 Tulsa in their first road match of the spring.MEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Senior Dorian Ulrey and freshman Drew Butler went 1-2 in the championship race of the 1,000 meters for No. 7 UA at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the Armory Track Center this weekend. Ulrey won the 1,000 meters in a time of 2:21.56. His clocking is No. 3 on Arkansas’ all-time list, and is a new Armory Track Center facility and New Balance Collegiate Invitational meet record. Butler’s time of 2:24.19 is No. 9 on UA’s all-time list and was also below the previous facility record of 2:24.36. Senior Alain Bailey finished fourth in the long jump. His 25-4.75 is a season best and an improved NCAA provisional-qualifying mark. Senior Scott MacPherson finished eighth in the championship with a personal best (4:06.56). Sophomore Lane Boyer was 11th with a personal best (4:08.34). Junior Patrick Russell won the collegiate mile in 4:07.17, a season and personal best. The Razorbacks compete next when they host the Tyson Invitational Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center.WOMEN’S INDOOR TRACK AND FIELD: Head coach Lance Harter’s group of middle distance and distance runners clocked school records in the 4×400-meter and distance medley relays for No. 11 UA at the New Balance Collegiate Invitational at the Armory Track Center this weekend. Sophomore Samantha Learch (1,200 meters; 3:26), junior Shelise Williams (400 meters; 52.2), freshman Regina George (800 meters; 2:07.2) and sophomore Kristen Gillespie (mile, 4:39.8) finished fourth in the DMR in 11:06.56, which ranks No. 5 in the NCAA and No. 2 in the SEC. They broke the school record of 11:09.09. The quartet of senior Karen Thomas (54.56), Williams (52.02), junior Edina Brooks (54.05) and George (52.53) combined for a time of 3:33.18 to win the championship 4×400-meter relay. Their time is a UA record, the NCAA and SEC leader, and an improved NCAA provisional-qualifying time. They broke the school record of 3:33.67. The Razorbacks compete next when they host the Tyson Invitational Friday and Saturday at the Randal Tyson Track Center.VOLLEYBALL: The postseason accolades continued for Jasmine Norton when Collegiate Volleyball Update (CVU) released its Rising Stars list last week. Norton was one of 19 players from around the nation to earn a spot on the list which consisted of freshman whose impact made a difference in their team’s respective seasons. CVU used rankings based on players who participated in at least 50 percent of their team’s overall games. Selections were based upon individual performance, contribution to the team and the player’s potential to make a future impact for the program.